Akin Differences

Chapter One: Formalities

There was something funny about formalities. The unspoken rule of mutual respect and dignity whenever you meet anyone. Everyone was aware of them, and most people had traditional ways to go about them. In fact, it was a conscious effort to completely disregard them as a whole. Most start with a simple introduction of one's self.

Toby remembers the first and only time he had an actual conversation (granted it was one-sided) with Eyeless Jack—something that wasn't a simple greeting while passing. The night was cold, and the quiet, mysterious pasta was just being introduced to everyone who occupied the mansion. There weren't many at the time, so Jack could be considered one of the original creepypastas, alongside Toby, of course.

Toby was what could be considered one of the few "approachable" people in the mansion. That was saying a lot since no one in this mansion could be treated as approachable. He was glad to introduce everyone to the newbie, but it became very clear that Jack didn't care for anyone. He would watch the half-demon give the smallest amount of acknowledgment to anyone and continue figuring his way around silently. The half-demon gave no reaction to Toby's words. Not when Toby cracked jokes, talked badly about another, or gave off threats. Not a chuckle, sneer, or flinch. Jack was reticent the entire time they walked. Toby wasn't even sure if he was listening or not; there was not a peak of emotion behind the void-like eye sockets and deep blue mask.

It didn't take Jack long to figure out the way things rolled, and he caught on to the hierarchy of the mansion rather quickly, but even so, no matter how many killers continued to join their old, broken home, Jack kept to himself. There were only two places one could find him. Those being his room and the medical hall. It was rare to find him anywhere else. Jack was a shell of a person, and it seemed the residents of the mansion weren't too happy about that. Most of the others were quick to put a label on the cannibal, keeping their distance unless necessary. The only sort of interaction most pastas have with Jack is in the middle of the night, with him being their only graveyard medic.

So that's where this all started. In the medical hall where Toby frequently found himself, even before the arrival of Eyeless. This madhouse of a mansion was crazy big, but Toby knew it like the back of his hand. Especially all the secret passageways specifically designed for the proxies. From the highest part of the roof to the smallest spec of dirt under the basement, there wasn't a single crevasse that Toby didn't know of. There were areas he stayed clear of and areas he found himself in the most. The medical hall was one of those areas he frequented.

Toby's victim had been possessed by the time he arrived at their house. Their eyes dripped in an inky black substance as their mouth dropped open agape. They turned to Toby in sluggish movement, staring at the proxy emotionless. Toby was fast when he grabbed his hatchets from his belt, but the way they screamed in a raw, high-pitched voice, surely tearing their vocal cords, made him want to drop his weapons and cover his ears. Black blood gushed out of every hole in their body and stained the once beautiful carpet. They charged at Toby like a rabid dog, flailing their arms, making themselves appear larger than they were. Toby easily held his own, but as he was going to make a final blow, the possessed human grabbed a switchblade from seemingly nowhere and lodged it deep within Toby's side. The Proxy pushed the other off and decapitated their head in a satisfying clean sweep, forcing the fight to end as soon as it started.

It wasn't rare to find a possessed human, although when it happened, they were usually weaker than how Toby found this one. Toby was frustrated with how he was almost overpowered, ashamed even. If he wasn't stabbed in the side where the blade could cut a vital organ, Toby would've taken his time cutting the body into pieces. However, with all the screaming, someone might have already called the police. Sighing in frustration, Toby took two canisters of gasoline from his utility belt. He was hasty to splash it everywhere that was flammable and on the body before taking a match and setting the room ablaze, leaping from the window before he could be burned by the flame. He was thankful that it was only a one-story house, the room leading to the backstreets close to the forest. Toby took a quick glance at his watch to make sure he didn't over-exert himself and sighed in relief when he noticed that everything was going at a steady pace. A while back the proxy stole a watch that would monitor his heart rate and core body temperature. He made sure to keep it on at all times since it was really hard for him to regulate his temperature, he wasn't too seen on passing out because he was too hot.